


Don't Overthink it

by LeannieBananie



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Adorkable, Awkwardness, Embarrassment, F/M, Fantasizing, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Gift Giving, Music, Nicknames, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 21:12:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6487567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeannieBananie/pseuds/LeannieBananie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gamora gets Peter a gift, but it's not a big deal. Honestly, it's nothing. Nothing but pure adorable fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Overthink it

**Author's Note:**

> My first Guardians fic, so I apologize if they seem OOC. But not really, because this was super fun to write and they're adorkable.
> 
> Comments and kudos are squeed over and I try to reply regularly! Also, shout out if you see any mistakes. This was whipped up in a hurry so there are probably a lot I missed.

She tried not to overthink it, but she did anyway and that irritated her. She told herself it meant nothing. That it was for the good of everyone, because they were all tired of listening to Quill’s Terran music. Then she started reasoning that if she didn’t something, she’d have to kill him, so it was the only way to save his life. She didn’t want to kill him, not really, after all he was her friend. 

That’s all they were. Friends. Nothing more, she reminded herself as she debarked the Milano, tuning out the constant bickering of Rocket and Drax. 

“Hey Gamora! Where are you going?” Rocket paused his argument long enough to call out, but she ignored him and quickly ducked into the crowd, vanishing faster than anyone could follow. She didn’t want an audience for this. Groot would look at her with knowing eyes and soulfully declare, “I am Groot.” Drax might – _might_ – say something reasonable or he would call her crazy. And maybe she was. She nearly cringed at the thought of Rocket and what he would say. He would snicker and make a witty comment and never let her hear the end of it. No, it was better to do this alone. 

Flicking her braid over her shoulder, Gamora wove her way through the masses of sweaty bodies that filled the streets of Knowhere, skipping over a suspicious looking puddle and narrowly avoiding a collision with a Centaurian. Berating herself for her inattention and this foolish idea, she continued down a dank alley, glaring at anyone who dared to meet her eyes. She felt quite unlike herself today, she was unsettled and nervous. They were annoying, unwelcome feelings that assaulted her senses and it was all because of Quill. 

Gamora had known physical attraction before. Most, if not all of her sexual encounters were based solely off physical compatibility and the mutual understanding that she would be gone before the morning. Her initial attraction to Quill had been mildly disturbing, amusing even, but it hadn’t distracted her and she had easily rebuffed his clumsy advances. But that had changed, so slowly she hadn’t noticed until it was far too late. It had started with frustratingly realistic fantasies of them tangled and sweaty in his bunk and grown into idle daydreams of them cuddling and holding hands. Even now her lip curled into a sneer as she thought about it. She was used to a level of anonymity and distance between her and her sexual partners, but this was something else. 

It was annoying. It vexed her that her eyes always found him when he entered a room and that his stupid, dopey grin made her want to smile. And instead of dealing him a scathing insult and storming away when he tried to coax her into dancing, she found herself being pulled into his arms with no memory of having said yes. Found herself laughing as he took her hands and swung her around the cargo bay of the ship. Worst yet was her heart and how it fluttered traitorously when he laughed, which was all the time. Her own feelings confused her and she didn’t know if she even _wanted_ to feel this way, but she did, which was why she was traipsing through the grungy backstreets of Knowhere. 

It had taken months for her dealer to track some down and while she didn’t trust the odd little man, she knew he wouldn’t dare cross her. Bending low to slip through the barely noticeable door, Gamora entered the dark shop and cautiously approached the man behind the counter. 

“Lady Gamora, I have been expecting you.” He intoned, before turning in a swirl of heavy robes and quickly producing a nondescript wooden box with a flourish of his hands. “Very unusual request. Very unusual.” 

“You have what we discussed?” She didn’t touch the box, instead stared intently into slightly bulging, pale blue eyes. He didn’t blink, but carefully raised his hands and opened the box, flipping open the lid to display the treasure within. Nestled carefully in red silk were four Terran cassette tapes that looked worn, but whole. “Do they work?” He shrugged, robes shifting mysteriously around him. 

“That I do not know. Are they satisfactory?” It became apparent that she was spending too much time with Quill and Rocket, when she almost said, _“That I do not know”_ , but she refrained and pulled out her small tablet to transfer the required units. 

“We shall see.” She said instead, a hint of warning in her voice as she quickly finished paying the man. Gamora picked up the box almost reverently, taking special care in arranging it in Quill’s purse, which she had borrowed before leaving the ship. 

“I look forward to doing business with you again Lady Gamora.” His obsequious tone grated on her already raw nerves, but she ignored him. With one final nod to the dealer she turned and left, making her way steadily back to the Milano. 

.

.

Gamora had intended to sneak aboard the ship, place the new cassettes with Quill’s old ones and then deny all knowledge of their existence once he discovered them. It had not been part of her plan to actual have to give them to Quill herself, but as she crept towards the pilot seat his warm voice made her freeze. 

“Hey Mo. Why are you back so- hey! I’ve been looking for that!” Before she could stop him, he pulled the bag form her hands and slung it over his shoulder. “Why’d you have it?” Ignoring his question she tried to sidle around him and down the steps, but his broad body easily blocked the narrow path. 

“Do not call me that.” She glowered at him, arching an eyebrow when he didn’t move. “Will you move?” Almost immediately a mischievous light sparked in his eyes and she wanted to curse. The telltale twitch of his lips meant he was in a playful mood, but Gamora was most definitely not. 

“Aw don’t be that way.” He cajoled, giving into the grin that pulled at his lips. “So why’d you have my bag?” 

Why did he have to be so damn persistent? 

“I needed to carry something.” The grin never left his face as he leaned back against the railing and stretched out his legs to block the stairs. If she wanted to leave she would have to climb over him and risk putting herself far too close to him for her comfort or push him down the stairs, which wasn’t completely out of the question. Gamora tried to keep her scowl in place, but she was distracted when Quill made an obvious show of relaxing and crossed his arms over his broad chest. She had known bigger men and more muscular ones, but she wanted to let him use those bulky arms to pin her own above her head and press his hips between her thighs. If she were honest with herself, she just wanted him above her and hard inside her. It made no sense and she was helpless to explain it, but he meant safety and freedom to her. Safety and freedom and lust. His teasing lilt drew her out of her jumbled thoughts and she met his eyes with a frown on her lips. 

“What’d you need to carry?” 

“It’s none of your business.” It was weak, but Gamora couldn’t help it when her eyes flicked down to the bag at his side. Quill recognized the tell for what it was and with a victorious smirk his hand dropped to the knapsack, delving beneath the flap to pull the box free. Her stomach twisted painfully and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. 

“Give it here Quill.” He laughed at her demand and ignored it in favor of flipping open the lid. “Quill!” Gamora lunged, but for the second that day he was quicker, twisting his body and holding the box high above her head and out of reach. His other hand locked around one of her wrists, bending it to the point of discomfort and keeping her just far enough away to prevent her from grabbing it. Snarling at him she swiftly hook a leg over his hip, forgetting that she shouldn’t really touch him like this in her haste to retrieve the box. With one leg planted on the ground and the other around his waist she used the strength in her thighs to haul herself partially up his torso, stretching out with her free hand to reach for the box. 

Quill just laughed at her and extended his arm out of her reach, pushing away from the wall so that she lost her balance and had to lean fully into him so she didn’t fall. The slide of her lithe body against his big one was dangerously distracting, she felt her body spark at the unexpected pleasure and heat pooled low in her abdomen. 

“Are you _blushing_? His tone was insufferable and incredulous, higher pitched with laughter as he firmly planted his feet to keep her from toppling them both down the stairs. “Is Gamora, the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy, _blushing_?” Gamora felt the flush on her cheeks deepen and in absolute desperation she dropped back down to her feet. Her left wrist was still grasped tightly in Quill’s warm hand, but her right was free and in a move that was as natural as breathing for her, she delivered a swift punch to his side. Grunting in surprise, Quill doubled over and she deftly snatched the box from his hands and stepped out of reach as he gasped for air. 

“Shit Mo, you could have just asked!” 

“I did!” She snapped. “And stop calling me that.” She held the box close to her chest, cracking the lid to make sure the cassettes were safe. They were still cradled safely in their bed of silk and she closed the lid with a thud. 

“So what’s in the box that’s so important to you?” Gamora eyed him suspiciously and ran her hand over the lid. This wasn’t part of her original plan and now that she was forced into a direct confrontation with Quill, her nerves fluttered madly in her stomach. They were friends and friends got gifts for each other right? Hadn’t Rocket gotten Drax that new dagger? And Quill often brought Rocket gadgets to tinker with. Fighting another blush she thrust the box at Quill, barely waiting for his hands to close around it before pulling back and curling herself into one of the passenger seats in the cockpit. 

Her stomach flipped as he lifted the lid and his jaw dropped. He gaped, first at the tapes then at her, his eyes huge as he stuttered over his words. 

“How- what- Gamora, this is-”

“It’s nothing.” She said sharply, her eyes failing to meet his as she said. It was a lie and it tasted bitter on her tongue, but she clenched her jaw and repeated it. “Nothing.” Quill shook his head vigorously, running a finger delicately over the tapes like they were the most precious treasure in the galaxy. This time her heart clenched at the dumbfounded look on his face, a look that softened into something affectionate when their eyes met. 

“That’s not true. Thank you Mo.” His lips quirked and she glared at him, shattering whatever soft spell that had woven around them. Trying to act composed and not betray the trembling thump of her heart, she strolled past him and started down the stairs, tossing the words casually over her shoulder as she descended. 

“Rocket was sick of listening to the same music. That’s all.” 

Peter felt like an idiot. He felt like that more often than he wanted to admit, but right now he felt like the galaxies biggest fool. Watching Gamora’s dark head vanish below deck he glanced back at the tapes in his hands and swallowed thickly. It had been an unexpected gift and beneath her cool exterior he had glimpsed a shyness he wouldn’t have thought possible from her. It caught him off guard and made him wonder if maybe it hadn’t been his imagination these past few months. 

At first he just assumed that all his wishful thinking was making him see things, because Gamora would not be staring at his ass when he walked by. And she would definitely not be dancing with out of her own free will. He had forced her into that right? But even then, her hands a little damp in his, there had been a light in her eyes, something he had ignored, because no way was she interested in him. She was absolutely smoking and he liked it when she laughed, but she had said no a long time ago and for once in his life he hadn’t tried to sweet-talk her into changing her mind. Partly from respect and partly from fear. 

But staring at the cassette tapes in the little wooden box, Peter looked thoughtfully at were Gamora had disappeared and smiled. Best not overthink it.


End file.
